TICKETS FOR CHARLIE. 93 



raised it to 6 and Ragan got it for $7, Company and 

 St. Elmo being thrown in for good measure. The 

 selling ran on in this way for an hour or so. 



Whenever a Del Monte ticket would run up to $15 or 

 $20 Ragan let it go, but I saw he always had a bid and 

 was along towards the end paying as high as $15 for 

 him. Herdic had his eye on Ragan and time and 

 again designated him as "a game sporting gent," "a 

 fashion plate in a fedora," and all that sort of thing. 

 Ragan did not mind it, but stepped up and took out 

 the tickets knocked down to ''Charlie," the name lie 

 had given at the start. I could not but admire his 

 pluck, although I know it does not take a very game 

 individual to bet another man's money. When the 

 selling on the race stopped I stepped over to Ragan 

 and asked him how much he had on. After adding up 

 a row of figures which he had on the back of an en- 

 velope he said $405, and he then told me he would try 

 and place the balance before the race started, as he 

 did not like the field and favorite betting between 

 heats. It staggered me when I saw how he was 

 catching on to the business, so I had dinner with him 

 and went back to the stall. 



The 2 '.24 class was not called until after four 

 o'clock. In the interval J. B. Richardson made good 

 as I said he would, but it was by a narrow margin, as 

 after Eph had carried him two heats Protection landed 

 twice and Frank Buford once before the old warrior 

 could again catch Wood Martin's eye at the finish. 

 He gave many a man a touch of heart disease that af- 

 ternoon. Then in the free-for-all there was another 

 snag. Jewett was considered the best one in the 

 bunch. After he landed a heat Van Ness came on 



